Whole grain foods like oatmeal, bread, and brown rice are healthy, hearty ways to combat occasional heartburn. These complex carbohydrates not only help absorb acid in the stomach, but they're also full of vitamins and minerals.
Pretzels and other dry foods like crackers and plain toast are also great for those suffering from heartburn. The digestive process stirs up a lot of stomach acid, and these foods can actually help reduce it by soaking it up.
Antacids like Tums, Rolaids, and Maalox, provide relief for heartburn by neutralizing your stomach acid. H-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), such as famotidine (Pepcid AC, Pepcid Oral, and Zantac 360), reduce the amount of stomach acid your body produces.
To curb heartburn, build your meals around naturally low-acid foods like: Melons and bananas. While most fruits have a high acid content, these don't.
Drinking water can help to alleviate heartburn symptoms in a few different ways. First, water can help to dilute stomach acid and make it less irritating to the esophagus. This can reduce the burning sensation in the chest that is characteristic of heartburn.
Water. In general, drinking water can help balance the pH of a particularly acidic meal, which may help to lower the risk of acid reflux. Studies show that drinking mineral water with a high hydrogen carbonate content can help to alleviate the frequency and severity of acid reflux.
Drinks such as ginger tea, certain fruit and vegetable juices, and plant-based milks may benefit people experiencing acid reflux and heartburn. Avoiding citrus juices, carbonated beverages, and alcohol can also help to reduce symptom frequency and severity.
Heartburn may last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. It should go away when the last meal you ate has passed out of your stomach. Once your stomach has emptied its contents, there should be nothing left to come back up (reflux).
Certain foods make an upset stomach worse
Some people with chronic stomach discomfort are more sensitive to certain foods: Caffeinated sodas: Soft drinks can worsen acid reflux symptoms due to caffeine content and carbonation.
What causes heartburn that will not go away? Heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest. Heartburn for multiple days in a row can result from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a hiatal hernia, Barrett's esophagus, or esophageal cancer.
The most common cause is food that's acidic or high in fat—like citrus fruits, tomatoes, onions, chocolate, coffee, cheese, and peppermint. Spicy foods or large meals can also be the root of distress. Other sources of heartburn include aspirin or ibuprofen, as well as some sedatives and blood pressure medications.
People without a history of heartburn can suddenly develop heartburn as a result of eating certain foods, some eating patterns, drinking, and smoking. Stress, anxiety, certain medications, and some medical conditions can also cause it.
Supragastric burping: This involves a person suctioning in air, often subconsciously, from their mouth into their esophagus. The person then expels the air through their pharynx, the tube that carries air, food, and fluid down from the mouth and nose. People may do this to relieve symptoms of acid reflux.
If the pain is not relieved shortly after taking antacids, or is accompanied by these symptoms, seek emergency medical care: Squeezing/tightening in the chest. Feeling out of breath. Pain, aching or discomfort radiating from the chest to the arms, back or neck.
Treatment might include changing your diet or taking medicine to relieve your symptoms. It might also include changing a medicine that is causing your symptoms. If you have reflux, medicine that reduces the stomach acid helps your body heal. It might take 1 to 3 weeks to heal.
Pickle juice isn't a go-to to help with heartburn, even if you're talking about juice from fermented pickles. In fact, the acid in the juice might make your reflux worse. You're better off trying lifestyle changes like adjusting your diet and not lying down after eating.
Bismuth subsalicylate is the main ingredient in Pepto-Bismol. This medicine is used for heartburn and acid reflux, indigestion, diarrhoea and feeling sick (nausea). It works by protecting your stomach and the lower part of your food pipe from stomach acid.
Drinking hot water can aid in soothing your stomach, help digestion, and lessen the symptoms of GERD and acid reflux. As mentioned, water dilutes acids in the stomach, keeping the acid from rising to your esophagus, which is the leading cause of acid reflux.
The key acupressure point in dealing with acid reflux is called Pericardium-6 or P6. It is located directly above the wrist.
Do not take anti-inflammatory medicines, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve). These can irritate the stomach. If you need a pain medicine, try acetaminophen (Tylenol), which does not cause stomach upset.
Milk and dairy products are high in fat and tend to make heartburn worse. When you have frequent GERD symptoms, like heartburn, eating high-fat dairy products like cheese can aggravate your symptoms. Furthermore, cold dairy products like ice cream can actually numb and inhibit the lower esophageal sphincter's function.